My Valentine's
by Shi Maxwell
Summary: It's Valentine's Day and Hermione hasn't shown up for her date with Ron. Ginny, worried for her friend, seeks her out and finds a dream come true instead.


A/N: ...I hate V-Day...Anyways, don't mind me if this seems off. I'm not sure if Valentine's Day is even a holiday in Hogwarts but...I couldn't resist. And this piece of crap-tastic work is for a friend of mine who has a soft spot for the two couples in this one-shot fic. The song is called "My Valentine" by Martina McBride. There's probably several grammar errors and all that but I was rather in a hurry to write this before I lost the will to finish it.

* * *

The walls of Hogwarts castle were decorated with brightly colored ribbons of reds, pinks and whites and were fastened in place by tape of all things. Balloons bounded from the ceilings and from beneath tables where their plastic lives were kept trapped, only to be freed by an ambling student or proffesor walking to close to the table clothes. Confetti of every concievable shape and size flittered around the floors and chased the heels of both girls and boys dressed in elegant costumes. Within the wide room, a stage was set off in the back, and lights flashed and glittered behind a microphone meant for any person brave enough to stand and sing.

" I truly despise Valentine's Day." I whispered, weaving my way through the tables and many students and proffesors. The steady beat of music drifted down from a set of speakers that had been balanced precariously on the railings of the Great Hall. Briefly, I thought that using the muggle way of things here was rather ridiculous and then sighed. Magic would have made the celebration so much more elegant and wonderful. For some odd reason, many of the students had agree to celebrate Valentine's Day the muggle way, and for people accustomed to using magic; they did a good job.

"Ginny! Wait" Oh no. My brother, Ronald Weasley, shuffled through a mass of showering lights, confetti, and dancing bodies.

"What is it, Ron? Where's Hermione" I asked, glancing about as if I was merely interested in talking with a friend. The truth was, I had hidden how I truly felt for the intelligent, brown haired girl since I grew out of my infatuation with Harry. It had been some years now.

"I can't find her. I think I hurt her feelings, actually..."

"I'll go and see if I can find her, okay? Ask Harry, maybe he's seen her." I noticed Ron nod and then slink back the way he'd come. I wonder why Hermione stood Ron up? Maybe she was in trouble? Trouble did seem to follow Harry Potter and his two best friends around quite a bit, I should know, having been caught in one of those perilous schemes myself. But anyways, enough of that, off to find Hermione!

* * *

"Hermione? Hermione, where are you" I had been searching for the better part of an hour and had no luck in finding my secret love. I climbed the stairs carefully, not wanting to trip in my long gown or high heels, and asked myself where my Hermione would go. I had already checked the library and the Gryffindor common's room and found no one but a dying fire being stoked by the elves. And then, something caught my eye.

"She wouldn't have gone to the towers." But as if to prove me wrong, the light flickered and I caught the faint tell-tale crack in the doorframe. Someone, regardless of who, had gone through that door and hadn't shut the door tightly enough to keep me from noticing. Pausing only to remove the now painful heels, I padded to the thick door and opened it, peering curiously around.

"Oh I hope Filtchs' damnable cat isn't around." A curisory glance said that no one was there, though in Hogwarts, it wouldn't be hard to stay hidden in the many hidden pathways. And speaking of hidden pathways, there were stairs covered by a thick tapestry along the far wall. My worry for Hermione grew as I quickly padded on barefeet past the torchs, slid the tapetry back and then softly moved up the winding staircase.

Twilight soon peeked through a window to my left while the ever present glow of the full moon illuminated my way. I strained to hear any noises, anything that would give away Hermione's prescence, but I was met with only my soft footfalls and quickening breath. My bare foot finally fell on the top-most stair and I froze in my tracks, only able to gape at the scene before me.

Oh, how I wished I could have frozen this moment in time forever! There, not but two arms length away, stood an image of a beautiful goddess. Skin as soft as silk and pale as alabaster shimmered within the moonlight's loving caress. I knew that if the wind blew, it would dance with the deep red of her floor-length dress and tickle gently along the bare skin of her shoulders. Her thick brown hair that I craved to run my fingers through was done up in a neat bun, held firmly in place by a pair of chinese sticks to match her gown. She turned and my breath held still, caught in my throat, as her gentle face tilted up to bask in the moonlight. Moments passed ,and I swore it was an eternity, though I thought that it ended much to fast. My breath expelled into the cool air and a name I would never forget breathed with it.

"Hermione."

"Hm? Oh, Ginny.." Her eyes opened and her frame turned towards me. I felt suddenly embarassed and clumsy in my deep green dress and my flaming hair. My eyes would never see another as beautiful at Hermione; none could ever hold a candle to such grace and intelligence.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Ron said you hadn't showed up for your date..I was worried. Are you alright" I looked up and into eyes a dark brown. The sheer depths in which those brown eyes traveled made me catch my breath yet again. Another exhale. Breathe, Ginny, don't make yourself out to be a fool!

"No, I'm not alright, Ginny. I came up here to think but I'm sorry to have made you worry, I would have come down soon enough anyways." She smiled sadly then, flashing her perfectly white and even teeth. I remembered fondly that they hadn't always been so and that only one of her many trips with Harry had given her the now straight set she had. I loved them either way.

"Are you alright"

"Yes and no. I stood Ron up because I couldn't see him as anything more then a best friend,and I hadn't seen that until it was time to meet him. I realized while I was getting dressed that I didn't love Ron like that- not that in that special way."

Setting my shoes aside, I climbed the last of the stairs and stood besides her, noticing that there were several inchs of height due to her heels. "Ron would have been upset but he would have understood, Hermione."

"I know that but what worries me is what she will say. When I tell her how I truly feel for her; will she turn me away or will she love me"

"She?.." My hope flared drastically high but then sank low. Hermione couldn't love me. I don't want to be just another Weasley but thats all they ever see. I was the nameless red-headed, freckled, poor little sister of the Weasley family. Even Harry hadn't seen past that brand and I couldn't help but think Hermione wouldn't either.

_If there were no words  
No way to speak  
I would still hear you  
If there were no tears  
No way to feel inside  
I'd still feel for you _

"Ginny, you're crying" Her hands reached out and cupped my face, brushing the tears away with her gentle thumbs. I thought I heard her whispering something, though I couldn't hear it past my own drowning jealousy. Hermione was in love but with another girl! Not me but someone else!

_And even if the sun refused to shine  
Even if romance ran out of rhyme  
You would still have my heart until the end of time  
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine_

"I-I'm sorry, Hermione, I d-didn't mean to start crying like that. Its' probably just because I'm rather tired." I looked up and smiled lightly and froze. They saw a picture tells' a thousand words but an expression screams a story. Her expression was positively adoring and I had to look twice behind me to make sure that I was the one she was looking at.

"Ginny...Ginny, you are the girl I love. I'm so sorry it took me this long to figure that out but I do, truly love you." Lips leaned down and the sweet warmth of her kiss touched my forhead. My mouth dropped open, a sight that I was sure looked ridiculous, but caressing hands closed it softly.

"M-me" Having no other option but to look up, I prayed that her words held true. And they did. All my hopes that had been sinking toward the ground suddenly learned to fly and soared skyward.

_All of my life  
I have been waiting for  
All you give to me  
You've opened my eyes  
And showed me how to love unselfishly_

"Oh I do. I love everything about you from your beautiful eyes, adorables freckles, and gorgeous hair. You're smart and funny, kind and strong, and you're everything that I've ever wanted. Virgina Weasley, I love you with all my heart."

My heart swelled and I was sure that it would exploded any minute or that I would awake from a dream. But as more tears spilled forth, I could do nothing but pray for it to be true. My arms encircled the slender waist before me and warm lips kissed my forhead, my eyes, then my tears before my own were captured by hers.

_I've dreamed of this a thousand times before  
But in my dreams I couldn't love you more  
I give you my heart  
Until the end of time...  
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine. _

"I love you too, Hermione. I've wanted to tell you for so long" I smiled once the kiss broke, swelling with emotions I couldn't have possibly known existed. She smiled back, radiant and beautiful and held me close as this time I leaned up to press a soft, loving, lingering kiss to her own. For something so delicate and soft, the fire that sparked was unimaginable and even more so unexplainable; but, Gods, was is heaven to feel!

"Lets go in..I want to tell you so much more" Her eyes were tearing just as mine were and our embrace was tight and firm. My breath caught as did hers when we both turned towards the stairs, content to find a peaceful place and complete our love. The sun had broken from its' place of sleep and was casting a riot of color across the horizon. Hues of red, blue, orange,yellow and red splattered the lightening sky as if a someone were painting the overhead sky.

_And even if the sun refused to shine  
Even if romance ran out of rhym  
You would still have my heart  
'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine  
You're all I need, my love, my Valentine... _

"Hermione, will you be my Valentine?"

"I'd love to be your Valentine,Ginny."

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...Okay, so it's a little cut short. But I'm sure you ladies and gentlemen can guess what happened. Forgive me if it's overly done but I haven't written anything in a long while. Comments welcome but please, no flames. It does no good to be a snot. 


End file.
